Daily Archives: May 19, 2019

I am currently involved in the study of the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22. There, Jesus describes himself to the church as the Amen, the faithful and true witness and the beginning of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14). The Greek word amen (G281) is used 152 times in the New Covenant text, and it is translated either into verily (101 times) or transliterated as amen (51 times). Only here in verse-14 is it used as a name for anyone. It is always used elsewhere as an introduction to a statement that is true or as a conclusion to a prayer or a statement that is true. But, here Jesus claims it as a title for himself. It is interesting that Isaiah uses the Hebrew word otherwise translated into amen (H543), 28 out of 30 times, to describe God as the true God or the God of truth: “that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes” (Isaiah 65:16). Therefore, by Jesus saying he is the “Amen” in Revelation 3:14, it would seem that he claims to be the Truth (John 14:6) or the God of truth (Isaiah 65:16) or both. Read the rest of this entry »